Tatsumi ga Kiru!

Arc I: Chapter 2

"Durge of the Dragon King"

"Well, I will say this at least." Tatsumi groaned, feeling as if he had just been tossed through the meat grinder, spat back out, and then tossed right back in. "You are probably the most intruiging child of mine I have had the pleasure of meeting."

Slowly, his eyes opened wearily, a drunken blur all around him. He could hardly see straight, and his body was aching all over. "Empress..." a second voice, a male one, aged with wisdom, voiced their concerns. "Are you sure it is wise to bring him here?"

"Do you disapprove?" the sultry voice asked with a hint of teasing. The male one spluttered, unsure of how to respond, thus eliciting a laugh. "Relax... I wouldn't bring him here if I didn't have a need for him."

'Where am I...' Tatsumi wondered as he slowly brought himself up, ignoring the agonizing cries of pain the erupted in his body. 'W-what happened...?'

It took him only a moment to recall the events that had transpired. Instantly, his eyes widened in realization, and the pain washed away. "Wait, where's Purgatorio?!" he cried out in alarm, shooting up to his feet and looking around wildly. He found himself stopping, panic forgotten in a brief moment.

In his time with Night Raid, he had seen many beautiful places, some that could probably be within the pearly gates of heaven, and others surpassing a sort of heavenly beauty he had never known existed. However, what stood before him was probably a great equivalence to a heavenly plain, perhaps even greater than that. It was a white hall of marble, pillars extending into a azure blue roof. On either side of him, standing on a walkway leading upwards to somewhere behind him, were two pools of water, each housing splendid pink lotus atop the surface, floating together tranquilly.

"Impressive, don't you think?" the female behind him asked. "Believe it or not, this wasn't really what I had in mind. All my advisers kept telling me I should go for something more demanding, more fitting of my position, but I don't care much for things relating to status, so I left the modelling my dear servants." Tatsumi turned to face the woman in question, finding her sitting atop what looked like a throne. "I usually go for things nice and quiet, but this works just as well."

The young man's jaw dropped. 'I've died and gone to holy heaven...' he thought, captivated by the woman in front of him. Now, don't get him wrong, he had met several beautiful woman, each with their own unique traits and stunning beauty. Leone was a minx, there was no denying that. Her teasing nature was just what you would expect from the older sister type. She could be caring when she wanted to be, a bit of a tease, but she was downright terrifying when angered. Mein was cute, there was no denying that, but her attitude obscured it a great deal. Her snotty attitude made it hard to like her, but he eventually found a way around it. Sheele was the airhead type of beauty, but was kind and gentle until she entered battle. Najenda wasn't too bad herself, Lubbock could attest to that in so many ways, it wouldn't even be funny. Then, of course, there was Esdeath, but she was a whole other story. She was cruel and sadistic, but she was the ice-queen type of beauty, and while she may be a demon, she was still a human being capable of affection. To this day, Tatsumi still wonders how in the world she fell in love with him of all people.

And yet, the woman in front of him was beauty divine. She held the perfect hourglass figure, a slim waist that women could commit genocide for if it meant having such a body. 'Dear lord, I think those are even bigger than Esdeath's and Boss'...' Tatsumi gawked at the sheer size of her bust, which was what could definitely earn a man an extremely stiff *cough* thing somewhere around his lower torso. Her skin was by far the most clear and silky he had ever seen, and the most beautiful red lips he ever laid eyes on. Her eyes bore a sort of cold, yet brilliant sheen to them, bearing a golden color. Her hair was long, reaching down to her waist. Tatsumi had seen many strange hair colors, Mein for example, but what this woman sported was completely outlandish. It was dark silver with highlighted green streaks, golden bangs at the very end. Her body was hugged by a white, almost transparent silk robe that exposed a fair amount of her cleavage, and it damn near gave Tatsumi a clear look at her...

She... wasn't wearing anything underneath it.

"Like what you see?" the woman asked with a grin. Tatsumi didn't answer, his face had become a hundred different shades of red, each more brighter than the last. The poor guy even had steam coming out from atop his head, clutching his nose as red liquid began to slip from between the fingers. "I'm not ashamed to admit that I might seem to be something of a..." The woman paused, frowning as she tried to grope at something. She turned to the man standing next to her. "Kohryu, what was the word they used to describe women who can show off their bodies without feeling shame?"

The man looked nervous, evident by the sweat drop on the side of his face. He was adorned with armor that Tatsumi had never seen before, black clothing seen beneath the gaps. A flowing white robe danced around the shoulder pauldrons, connected like a wreath, steel colored turquoise, and golden marks etched into it's form. He appeared to be rather young, perhaps only a few years older than himself, with messy white hair and clear blue eyes, a golden spear at his side. Strangely, the piece where the shaft and the blade met was twisted, coiled around like snakes sliding around a rod. "I think the word is... exhibitionist?" the young man guessed, his voice soft and gentle.

The woman snapped her fingers. "Exhibitionist! That was the word I was looking for!"

"Uh, not to sound rude, but..." Tatsumi said quietly, weary of his surroundings. His station as an assassin demanded it of him. The more peaceful something seemed, the more sinister it was in truth. "Where am I?"

"This, my dear boy, is Shangri-La." the woman answered, a hand cupping her cheek while her limb rested atop one of the armrests. "Think of it as... heaven, so to speak. At least, that is what you children of mine call it."

"Children of yours?" A question mark danced over his head, tilting the skull with arms crossed over his chest. "Heaven?" Then something struck him from behind. His eyes widened in horror. 'Oh no, does that mean Purgatorio is-?!'

"Calm yourself." the guard known as Kohryu said, his gentleness gone with a strange sense of calm and authority. "The Harbinger's End no long walks among the living. You saw to that yourself."

In that one instant, Tatsumi breathed a large heavy sigh of relief, the very adrenaline of the thought of the being making him fall to his rear end. At first, he was just breathing a sigh, but then it later turned into a light-hearted laugh. 'I...I did it... Ha... Hahaha! Guys, I won... I finally beat that damned monster!'

The woman smiled. "My word, all worked up over the defeat of the Bringer of Death, especially since you held the power to defeat him all along..." she giggled into her hand. "You are definitely the most interesting among my children."

There it was again. 'Her' children. What exactly did that mean? Was there some sort of meaning to it? "If this place is like heaven..." Tatsumi said as his laugh slowly died down. "Then... am I dead?"

Kohryu shook his head. "No, you are alive, but your material body slumbers elsewhere." Material body? Elsewhere? But, he was standing right in front of them, wasn't he? "Shangri-La is a place that cannot be reached by mortals unless the Empress wishes it."

Empress? Wait, was he referring to the woman on the throne?

"Pardon for not introducing myself to you earlier." the woman said. "I am Mother Gaea, arbiter of all life... but you humans know me by the name 'God'."

...

...

...

...Huh?

"Haha..." Tatsumi chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry. I think I have something in my ear. Did you just say that you were God?"

"Yes, I believe I did." Gaea smirked. "And I know quite about you, my child. Specifically..." her eyes went down to his form. "The power you gain, and the will you bore to defy what was truly the greatest darkness Pluto ever created."

Tatsumi's eyes widened as he looked down at his body. He was still wearing Incursio, as it had reverted back to it's original state before he entered the awakened form. The only difference was that the helmet was gone, revealing his face to everyone around him. "Tyrant," Gaea spoke with a tone of displeasure. "A beast of unmatched power and unparalleled strength. Truly, it was a terrifying creature. No matter what happened, regardless of the enemy and territory, it could always find a way to adapt. It's flesh became armor, and with it, the power to be hidden from the eyes of mortal men. What was once the king of beasts had become the armor used by men to facilitate an era of peace."

"Incursio..." Tatsumi nodded his head, but then frowned. No, that didn't sound quite right. But... why was that? That was the name it had always worn. He had always known that name ever since Bulat had shown him. It was his to retain and wear, as Bulat had stated when he gave him the sword to unlock it. So then... why did that name sound so wrong?

Gaea let out a laugh, throwing her head back. "Incursio? Is that really what you call it?" she asked, amused. "Oh boy, what a farce! And to label the Dragon King with such a pathetic title to boot!"

Tatsumi's eyes widened. "...Dragon King?"

"You called it's name before, did you not?"

Awaken... Imperius!

Tatsumi's eyes widened in recognition, recalling the name. At the time, he hadn't realized what he had been doing. He had simply given over to his instincts, something that had, unfortunately, brought him to one rather terrifying prospect. It had been manifested during his battle with Esdeath from two years ago, something that just started to make sense to him. After all, using Incursio that time had finally brought the merge to a close.

Tatsumi had merged with Incursio completely. The Imperial Arms was now apart of him.

"Yes, ever since you first awakened to the power of that Imperial Arms..." Gaea began to explain. "You've felt it's power become more open to you. It had even begun to reach to the point where you and Tyrant's living flesh began to meld. In other words, Tatsumi... You've unlocked the true power of this Imperial Arms." A smile of reverence came to her face. "The Dragon King... Imperius. Not even your teacher could have ever managed to unlock it."

Tatsumi's eyes widened in shock. What the heck did that mean? Bulat wouldn't be able to reach this level of power? But... how was that possible? He was stronger than Tatsumi, hell he had far more experience with Incursio-er... Imperius... than he did!

"Well, enough about that." Gaea waved her hand dismissively, not wanting to waste her time explaining things to him. "After all, I didn't bring you here just to chat about Tyrant's true self, now did I?" A dark glint passed through her eyes. "Let's talk about other things... such as the Harbinger's End."

Tatsumi tensed at the mention of the damned monster. His fists clenched together tightly, shoulders trembling. "...What is there to talk about?" he asked, his voice becoming cold.

"Quite a bit." the God answered his question, having the nerve to sound amused. How the hell could she be amused? If it weren't for that damned monster, all of his friends would still be alive! "The Harbinger's End, Purgatorio... A being who's very existence wrought death and despair. He was once a human being, a simple peasant, but in those days, it was believed that humans had darkness in their hearts. The people in the village believed that it was necessary to facilitate this darkness within a select individual to harbor this darkness. The one they chose was nothing but a child."

Tatsumi growled, anger slowly building.

"They inscribed his very being with nothing but pure darkness. Hatred, evil, arrogance, anger, fury, sadness, despair... all negative emotions flowed into every essence of his being." Gaea smiled wickedly. "Eventually, the darkness within his heart molded him into a being who loathed life with all of his heart. He became a monster in every sense of the word. Perhaps it was because of that that the Emperor saw a way to utilize his power, and thus created him into a tool of piece, to facilitate life."

"...The Harbinger's End: Purgatorio." Tatsumi spoke with dread. "A living Imperial Arms that doesn't require a user."

"A power that could not be controlled." Kohryu nodded. "The Emperor soon realized the danger he would bring, and locked him away. And then, that foolish mortal who manipulated the Emperor unleashed him into the world."

That had been a year ago, after the war between Night Raid and the Jaegers. It was long, bloody, and brutal. Sometimes, Tatsumi wondered if that war was even worth it. It was a stalemate, one of which he participated in and used his Imperial Arms only as a last resort. He had to use it against Esdeath and those on equal footing with her. As it stood, it was a war to see who would last longer. Apparently, the Minister got fed up, and tried to unleash an Imperial Arms that the Emperor locked away, and boy, did he mean "lock"! The size of that vault was insane!

Then again, Tatsumi couldn't really blame the Emperor for locking away something so dangerous.

"Within a year, Purgatorio had brought the very world to it's knees." Gaea went on further. "Death and destruction followed him in his very wake. Nothing could stop him from achieving his goals to bring the world to an end. It was his sole mission to eradicate life... such is the will of the Purge."

The Purge.

Even now, Tatsumi did not understand the concept or the idea. Purgatorio had spoken of it before, but he did not elaborate. "So, why bring me here?" Tatsumi asked. "To thank me or something? Cause I didn't do it for thanks. I destroyed Purgatorio because I wanted to revenge. I wanted him to pay for all the lives he ruined!"

"Including yours?" Gaea smiled, watching Tatsumi pause. "It was because of Purgatorio that you brought two separate ideals together."

"Those who live in the darkness, becoming the evil that eradicates the greater evil." Night Raid. The assassins who cleansed the world of filth, and left only those who were innocent and kind, those that could bring about a better world order without being chained and shackled. It was the world he had lived in, the world that had opened his eyes to the darkness that lurked within the heart of the capital. "Those who stand by the greater evil, delivering their own twisted form of justice." The Jaegers. A police force led by Esdeath, and brought down unbending rule upon those that dared to stand in their way. Even though Tatsumi could never fully agree with their ideals, he couldn't help but feel as if he were still in Night Raid, a family that was out of place. "Purgatorio, through his power, brought these worlds together."

And yet... only Tatsumi remained. Out of everyone from Night Raid, and from the Jaegers, only he was left. Everyone he knew and loved, everyone he cherished... they had all been killed.

"The way you brought about Purgatorio's defeat is truly something in and in itself." Gaea giggled. "Although, it could have been handled much better..."

Anger exploded into Tatsumi's very being. "What the hell does that mean?!" he snarled, pupils becoming crossed slits. Kohryu took the signs of aggression and stood between him and the God, spear at the ready. "Are we just tools for your personal amusement!"

"Oh no, nothing like that." Gaea dismissed his anger, pissing him off even further. "I'm merely saying Purgatorio would've been defeated much swifter if you had united both worlds much sooner. For example..." A grin formed on her lucious lips. "Say you could go back in time, you could save all of your friends, save the enemies that could become allies, and then take care of that pesky little Minister all that much quicker. Hell probably before he released Purgatorio."

"And I can't exactly do that!" Tatsumi snapped. "There's no way you could go back in time!" He looked down at the ground, his entire body trembling. "And even if I could..."

Would he be able to save everyone?

Could he protect everyone?

Those two thoughts were like roadblocks, those fears that stood against him and kept him from advancing forward. It was true, going back to the beginning of it all was his greatest wish, to undo the wrongs of the past and make a better future, one where Purgatorio couldn't exist. "I can make that a reality for you." Gaea said, making his eyes grow as wide as dinner plates. "Do you want that? A second chance?"

Tatsumi looked up, staring at the God. Was this... for real? "You... aren't joking, right?"

"Boy, I am a heavenly deity." Gaea grinned. "There are a few things I can't do, but time travel isn't among those 'can't do'. Question is..." She leaned in, a finger aimed at her. "Are you willing to give up everything for this one last chance?"

Tatsumi hesitated. The offer was there on the table. He could do it. He could change everything... but what would be the price? What would happen if he failed?

'No... this isn't the time to start being a coward!' Tatsumi mentally slapped himself, looking down at his armored hand. Memories passed by him, some showing happier times, and others filled with despair. These memories made him into who he was now. He couldn't afford to back out. He had to fight for a better future... he had to fight.

For them.

For his friends.

For his family.

Tatsumi snapped his head up, eyes blazing with resolve. "Just hurry up and send me back!"

Gaea grinned, holding up her hand with a quick snap of her hand. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get going!"

A blast of wind nearly sent the warrior off his feet, the water rippling and the lotus stirring. When the winds ceased, Tatsumi felt a large shadow casting over him. His body whirled around to see a giant steel gate looming over him. The sheer size alone was enough to make his eyes bug out of his sockets. It reached all the way to the sky, and he was pretty sure it was even higher. The gate was pure steel, nothing but pure iron.

[Wild Rock - Saiyuki Reload Opening]

The gate opened with a large creaking sound that reverberated all around the world. Light burst forth from within, shining against his armor.

Tatsumi's left hand clenched together into a fist. 'Everyone...' he thought, taking a step forward. 'Wait for me... I promise, I'm going to save you guys!' A small smile escaped his lips. 'Looks like I'll be able to keep my promise after all, Akame...'

"Empress, are you sure this is wise?" Kohryu asked as he watched the boy. "I mean, what if he fails? Purgatorio was powerful, but he prevailed over him. He should enjoy the future he won and..."

"Unfortunately, that doesn't settle well with guys like that." Gaea chuckled. "Tatsumi is one of those types that would much rather die than live in a world without his friends there with him. After all, what is the purpose of living without the ones you cherish at your side?"

"I... see..." Kohryu said sadly, looking down at the ground. "It appears I still have much to learn about humans as a whole."

"Oh, don't be sad about that." the God assured him. "Besides, I am looking for to this. I can say with certainty that this is gonna be one hell of a party, especially when it's the Dragon King about to start a conquest. I always find his wars to be interesting."

A grin found it's way to her face.

"Are you ready?" Gaea smirked as she watched the king embark on his journey. "You hellion?"

-Reckoning: END-